Like cabbage, to which it is related, the turnip has long been thought of as "plain folks" food. It is economical; it grows well in poor soil; it keeps well; and it supplies complex carbohydrates.

One of the cruciferous vegetables in the Brassica genus, it can be cultivated for its root, which is a good source of complex carbohydrates. Also, the turnip greens are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Turnips come in an astonishing range of shapes and sizes, depending on the age and variety, some have weighed 40 to 50 pounds, others are the size of a golf ball. The flesh can be white or yellow, but most commercial turnips have white flesh.